[slipstream]

I go to a public high school, in California. They're here every other week, basically (2nd & 4th Tuesdays). Let's face it, they're skeezy people whose only interest is to fill combat boots. So, advice on how to deal with 'em, stories of being TOTALLY RADIKAL, the odd rah rah i love america post, please.

I'm thinking about pursuing the don't ask, don't tell angle with a side of something i haven't decided yet.
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[Pijaibros]

[slipstream]

Well, I'm a senior, if that helps you feel any less old.
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[Pijaibros]

No, it doesn't.

It's been 9 years since I finished High School and recruiters didn't want anyone to join up during those crazy Clinton years.

I tried to join the Armed Forces in my Senior year (for the free college money) and was turned away because I have asthma and couldn't run a mile in under 7 minutes.

My mile time then was 7:45

I hear they'll take any warm body now.
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[Intentionally Wrong]

Orchestrate a smear campaign that demonstrates schools release of students' names to recruiters as an invasion of privacy, targeted toward parents. Try to take the school board to court, or something. It looks like a Seattle school barred recruiters from the campus. Make a point of connecting the No Child Left Behind Act with strong-arming from the military. (And, you know, No Child Left Behind is already controversial.)

This is what I came up with five minutes of thinking about the thread and searching google. I'm sure someone with actual dedication could come up with something better.
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JSNLV is frequently and intentionally wrong.

[dessgeega]

in my experience, having a large group of people standing a few feet from the recruiters' desk singing "we all live in a military state" (to the tune of "yellow submarine") makes them make up their minds pretty quickly not to come back.

you want to organize people to publicly humiliate and/or draw attention away from the recruiters during the times they're active, and to do it consistantly enough that they get frustrated and give up recruiting at your school.

consider bodybag props, lunch-break die-ins, pretend gunfights complete with civilian casualties right next to them. if you do something fun, you can draw other students in. maybe have people walk up to their tables in death mask make-up or rambo costumes or (if you want to press the don't ask don't tell angle) festooned in rainbows and acting obnoxiously queer. be loud and distracting. if they ask you to quiet down, remind them it's your school and get even louder. make them uncomfortable.

alternately, ask them questions they would probably be willing to answer, like about american casualties in iraq. if they won't answer you, ask again. make sure people overhear you. being informed can help a lot. bring sources to cite. bring your friends.

getting teachers to help you out is a great help. because of their job, it might not be possible for them to be particularly active, but there are plenty of less active ways sympathetic teachers can lend support.

probably the recruiters are putting up flyers too. tear them down and replace them with your own messages and parodies. make sure they know they're not welcome in your school.

and i can't overemphasize the value of planning. a single action may leave them undeterred - they'll assume they can wait you out, and go back to recruiting when things blow over. organize events for several months. let them know you can outlast them. hopefully they'll get the message and move on.
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[sync-swim]

Read up on the principles of situationism and the associated tenets of free-association and deconstruction.

[SplashBeats]

You're a fucking punk. What the hell is wrong with military recruiters again?

The military provides many people a way out of working minimum wage jobs for the rest of their lives.

Are you one of those LOL THE MITITARY SUX ALL DUMB GRUNTS RITE GUYS dudes, because I would slap you if given the chance (it would be a gentlemanly slap though, because I am no brute.)

This isn't a goddamnd draft, no one is forcing anyone to go into the military, and I've yet to see a recruiter try to decieve anyone into joining any branch of the military. This is just utter disrespect and ignorance.

[Intentionally Wrong]

[Dracko]

Act like a complete and utter cunt.
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[dmauro]

Joe fails at life and dess excells at guerilla tactics itt
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[klikbeep]

Dess: Why, in your view, is the military worthy of scorn? Why should the options that they bring to the table be shouted down in a flurry of demonstration and song? What is so dangerous in their message that they deserve to be chased and shooed? In bare essentials: why do they deserve derision?

Joe: Why, in your view, is the military worth of kudos? Why should the opinions that they bring to the table by given a place of honor and adequate lighting? What is so valuable in their message that they deserve to be regarded and listened to? In bare essentials: why do they deserve praise?

[luvcraft]

[klikbeep]

[Levi]

Anyone who's seen a military recruiter in action on a high school or college campus knows that their actions are predatory and disagreeable. It may be a legal condition for receiving federal funding, but that doesn't make it right.

I certainly didn't appreciate their threatening calls when I graduated.

[Zebadayus]

"Adults have their reasons. You children who see the world in black and white will learn soon enough about shades of grey."

This quote is in support of me supporting Suikoden during FKW.

[klikbeep]

[Zebadayus]

I can't stand unbridled military hate. It really doesn't help anything.

But yeah, there are some real scumbags in our military as well! But some of these people are just doing their jobs, so cut them some slack.

But I may be biased, since I've never been harassed a lot by recruiters. The Air Force tried for a little bit to get me after I scored the highest in my school on their ASVAB test, promising me a cushy position as an aircraft technician, but they didn't bother me a whole lot about it.

Do some of you people think that nobody should ever ever join the military, or what?

[Zebadayus]

[Predator Goose]

[klikbeep]

[Zebadayus]

I understand that.

But there are a number of people on this forum who act like nobody should ever join the military, every time the subject comes up.

I guess that should be expected, considering this forum is filled with the "intellectual" and "artsy" crowd.

[Zebadayus]

[LWJoestar]

I think a few of us need to ponder the fact that most high schools have an ROTC program, and that it is entirely voluntary.

This SHOULD help you understand something important.
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[GcDiaz]

[sawtooth]

post a million copies of this picture around





:(


My roommate's in the rotc. He's a nice guy. And yeah, he hates recruiters! Partially because he still gets calls from them, for some reason.
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(  (  

[shnozlak]

Freaking out recruiters: its more fun than sitting in the cafeteria.
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Mixtapes galore ~ VG MUSIC
ᕦ(ò_óˇ)ᕤ http://phantom-photon.tumblr.com/

[Predator Goose]

[Wilkes]

[klikbeep]

[luvcraft]

[Mikey]

One time a pair of recruiters for the Marines showed up at my house and were like "So we here you're interested in joining the Marine Corps!" It was 9 in the morning on a saturday, I was in pajamas and had bed hair. They were in full dress uniform. I told them they were mistaken and I was sorry they had come out to my place so early in the morning for no reason.

When I find out who the hell tried to sign me up for the Marines, I'm going to kick them in the nads.

I still get phonecalls from them sometimes. Always the Marines, never once have I been approached by Army, Navy or Air Force recruiters.

[km]

At my high school, they had ROTC. Though, they called it Junior ROTC so I think that's what distinguishes it from "real" ROTC?
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vi) RPGs (Role-Playing Games)
For adolescents; half-formed personalities roaming (in packs) in search of identity.

[GcDiaz]

Correct. JROTC is an extra-curricular activity. Real ROTC is a college elective, a four year (or less with prior service) program that will get you commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant after graduation.

Of course if you choose to enlist right after high school, I think JROTC credits will get you to Private First Class (E3) instead of just plain Private (E1).

Interesting how a whole college degree will only get you initial rank of Specialist/Corporal (E4), but you'll be on the fast track to Sergeant anyway (normally a 2+ year process) so I guess it evens out.
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Steam/PSN/Xbawks: GcDiaz

Let's bring sexy back!

[luvcraft]

[internisus]

I would love to take an extreme stance against all military and all war as many in my generation do -- and as I have in the past. However, the fact is that war has been around forever simply because it exists as an option. Peoples, nations, ways of life, and their agendas have long, long histories of disagreement that can and do escalate to violence, and that's a fact. Corrupt and power-hungry people do terrible things and they and their governments need to be brought down through military might: World War II was such a righteous war. There is such a thing as military action for good. The UN uses it all the time. The military is an enterprise of honor, sacrifice, discipline, and purpose.

Although it is necessary to maintain military might in order to deter and protect oneself against the possibility of violence, as well as to take righteous action and threaten other nations into reform, there is a very thin line between such purposes and more selfish variations. Military is simply a tool and a weapon. Its goodness is determined by the character of its master. Right now, the United States is an extremely selfish, arrogant, and shortsighted country, and the actions of its military -- invading and occupying an unthreatening sovereign nation -- are certainly cause for derision. However, that indignation is better focused towards the government controlling such force.

That being said, it is a separate matter to criticise the practices of the military with regard to recruitment, policies towards homosexuality, etc. It's just important to focus. Turn your protest efforts towards specific issues rather than the general idea of military or war. Remember that the military can be a good thing and a good life and remain concentrated on the problems that are obstructing this possibility.

[bort]

I'm staging a lunch-break die-in as we speak (that will teach them to give me me "pamphlets").

[Predator Goose]

Thanks for clearing up the ROTC thing for me guys.
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I can no longer shop happily.

[inmatarian]

1. Ask where they send all of the Openly Gay members of the army

or

2. Ask if President Obama will have removed the troops from Iraq by the time you finish basic.
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2993 badness blog email

[slipstream]

[bort]

slipstream how many recruiters have you been deceived by?